Scout leaders resign over ban on homosexuals

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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Jenny and David Kerr were den leaders in Cub Scout Pack 170 before all six leaders decided to leave the Boy Scouts of America over its policy barring gays and lesbians from the organization.

"It was a policy we were not comfortable with, so we decided as leaders within the organization to disassociate ourselves from Boy Scouts of America," Jenny Kerr said.

According to the Boy Scouts of America membership policy on their website: "we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distrtaction to the Boy Scouts of America."

"It remains to be seen whether or not other parents will step up for this particular pack going forward," Jenny Kerr said, "but we will not be leading them going forward."

She said the leaders will be forming an "Adventure Club" with their sons. They said they've had a great experience with the local Boy Scouts organization but simply cannot support the national organization.

"I was hopeful some things had changed," said David Kerr, "and the fact that they haven't changed made us realize we cant handle it any longer."

No one from the local Oregon Trail Council was available for an interview Wednesday. Calls to the national organization had not been returned by Wednesday evening.

Nigel Jaquiss, a reporter at KATU’s news partners at Willamette Week, and KATU’s Hillary Lake join host Steve Dunn to discuss the lawsuits surrounding Oregon’s failed Cover Oregon, those personal emails Kitzhaber’s office asked to be deleted from state servers and the investigations into him and his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes.